Heat exchanger system used in steel making

Abstract

A heat exchanger system is disclosed. The heat exchanger system may be comprised of a front plate and a base plate, wherein piping is fitted with spray nozzles that direct a spray of the cooling fluid on a backside of the front plate. The front plate is preferably fabricated out of aluminum bronze alloy.

1. A heat exchanger system, said system comprising:
 a furnace having means for heating an interior of the furnace and generating exhaust gases in the temperature range of about 4000° F. to 5000° F.; 
 at least one heat exchange panel of piping having a plurality of spray nozzles, said piping mounted on a base plate offset from a front plate, wherein the at least one panel has an inlet and an outlet; 
 an input manifold in fluid communication with the inlet of the at least one panel; 
 an output manifold in fluid communication with the outlet of the at least one panel; 
 the piping being configured to have a cooling fluid flowing through the piping and being sprayed through the nozzles; 
 the piping being located to have the front plate define a portion of the interior of the furnace such that a stream of hot exhaust gases from the furnace flows over the front plate; 
 wherein the spray nozzles direct and disperse the cooling fluid onto the backside of the front plate, thereby providing heat transfer from the front plate to the cooling fluid; and 
 wherein the front plate is comprised of an aluminum bronze alloy. 
 
     
     
       2. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel is mounted to an interior side of a wall, and is in fluid communication with the output and the input manifolds that are on an exterior side of the wall. 
     
     
       3. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the wall has curvature, as for instance does the wall of a steel making furnace, a furnace roof, a smoke ring exhaust port, a straight section of an exhaust duct, and a curved section of an exhaust duct, or the wall is straight as is commonly employed for air boxes. 
     
     
       4. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the at least one panel are mounted around the interior side of an exhaust duct of the furnace, wherein each panel is individually supplied the cooling liquid from the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the exhaust duct; and wherein each panel returns the cooling liquid to the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the exhaust duct. 
     
     
       5. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet is near the bottom of the at least one panel such that drainage is always toward the bottom so as to prevent a buildup of cooling fluid from obstructing the plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
       6. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the at least one panel are mounted around the interior side of the furnace roof, wherein each panel is individually supplied the cooling liquid from the output manifold which is on an exterior side of the furnace roof; and wherein each panel returns the cooling liquid to the output manifold which is distributed over the exterior side of the furnace roof. 
     
     
       7. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the at least one panel are mounted around the interior side of the furnace wall, wherein each panel is individually supplied the cooling liquid from the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the furnace wall; and wherein each panel individually returns the cooling liquid to the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the furnace wall. 
     
     
       8. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 3 , wherein a plurality of the at least one panel are mounted around the interior side of the smoke ring exhaust port, wherein each panel is individually supplied the cooling liquid from the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the smoke ring exhaust port; and wherein each panel returns the cooling liquid to the output manifold which encircles the exterior side of the smoke ring exhaust port. 
     
     
       9. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of exhaust ducts are strung together and the panels in the exhaust ducts and the smoke ring exhaust port lower the temperature of the stream of hot gases pulled from the furnace from about 4,000° F.-5,000° F. to about 200° F.-350° F. 
     
     
       10. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum bronze alloy comprises Cu, Al, Sn, and Fe. 
     
     
       11. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is one of an iron and steel manufacturing furnace, a converter, a paper manufacturing furnace, a coal and gas fired electrical power generation furnace, and other furnace that generate exhaust gases. 
     
     
       12. The heat exchanger system, according to  claim 1 , wherein said aluminum bronze alloy is extruded. 
     
     
       13. A heat exchanger system, said system comprising:
 a furnace having means for heating an interior of the furnace and generating exhaust gases in the temperature range of about 4000° F. to 5000° F.; 
 at least one heat exchange panel of piping having a plurality of spray nozzles, said piping mounted on a base plate offset from a front plate, wherein the at least one panel has an inlet and an outlet; 
 an input manifold in fluid communication with the inlet of the at least one panel; 
 an output manifold in fluid communication with the outlet of the at least one panel; 
 the piping being configured to have a cooling fluid flowing through the piping and being sprayed through the nozzles; 
 the piping being located to have the front plate define a portion of the interior of the furnace such that a stream of hot exhaust gases from the furnace flows over the front plate; 
 wherein the spray nozzles direct and disperse the cooling fluid onto the backside of the front plate, thereby providing heat transfer from the front plate to the cooling fluid; and 
 wherein the front plate consists essentially of an aluminum bronze alloy.